Relay, Relay, Relay!

No, I am not running a relay, but rather walking in one…all night long.

I’m participating in my alma mater’s Colleges Against Cancer (CAC) Relay For Life tonight and I couldn’t be more excited! I used to be very active in the American Cancer Society affiliated organization when I was in school and it makes me happy that I can go back once more this year and see all of my CAC friends while partying and fighting back all night for a good cause.

It’s a cause that is near and dear to my heart because my dad passed away from colon cancer when I was 12 and ever since then, I’ve been wanting to do whatever I can to help out.

The sad truth is, even though my dad died from cancer, we were one of the lucky families. He was originally given six months to live after being diagnosed in 1999, but he went through numerous surgeries and chemo, radiation and experimental treatments that gave him that extra time with us.

However, some families get a lot less time with their loved ones than we had, and that just breaks my heart. No one should ever have to hear that they have cancer and that’s why I put a lot of effort towards fundraising for the American Cancer Society. Without their support of cancer research, a lot of drugs, like the ones that helped get my dad five and a half more years than he was supposed to, wouldn’t exist.

I truly see them as a one-stop-shop type of organization. The American Cancer Society helps with educating people on how to prevent cancer or find it at its earliest stages, helping patients when they’ve been diagnosed by giving them access to care and numerous programs to help with the burdens cancer brings, funding and conducting research for fighting, preventing and understanding cancer and, ultimately, fighting back against cancer by rallying communities and lawmakers to band together with one common purpose.

I’m so excited to go fight back with all of my friends tonight and I know it’ll be the start to a great weekend!